


Heritage

by mad_en



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Gen, Star Wars References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 22:25:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13727250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mad_en/pseuds/mad_en
Summary: While recovering from the events ofThe Empire Strikes Back,Luke investigates his family history…





	Heritage

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note:  
> I have next to no experience with any of the expanded universes of SW-I am “Old-School” and base this primarily on the films. It’s just that a little idea inspired by a fic by starr234 got stuck in my head and led me to attempt my first SW fic. I had not given any thought to how Luke originally handled the information he learned from Vader until I read her Fictober fic in which Vader accumulates a dossier on any available information on Luke once he learns of his existence after ANH. Read her wonderful series here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12244314/chapters/27820347

 

There wasn’t much to work with. That was glaringly obvious as soon as Luke felt well enough to try searching the surviving archives cobbled together by the Rebellion that were accessible by the ship’s computers. He had been slowly recovering both his physical and mental strength following the new cybernetic hand surgery that had followed his battle with Vader.

‘No, his _father_ ,’ he amended mentally with a shudder.

He had been trying to force himself to accept that truth, in an effort to decide what his next moves would be. Rescuing Han was, of course, his first priority as soon as he was physically well enough, and an initial plan to insert Lando as a spy in Jabba’s palace was already underway. The Falcon had left for Tatooine only days ago and Chewie would message in as soon as he knew that Lando was in position. For now, Luke and Leia could only wait, and Leia was occupying herself with the only way she knew to cope: burying herself in Rebellion matters and oddly trusting Luke to plan her own upcoming part in the rescue.

There were hours in the dark though, that plagued him with nightmares of what had happened, and he decided that finding out some measure of information about his true heritage would perhaps calm the distractions that were claiming precious mental space in developing his rescue plan. When he approached Leia with the request to access to the precious databanks that had not been corrupted by The Empire or lost to various planetary or government destruction during all the warfare, she had granted him full VIP access to all available information without him having to offer any explanation as to the nature of his research. It was much too soon to confide in her what he had learned about his relationship to Vader; he could barely contain his own disgust and anger at her treatment on the Death Star and had to assume that she would not only feel the same, but might be unable to refrain from attaching that painful history onto him if she learned that he was Vader’s son.

Most of the records he needed had come into Rebellion possession by the influence and foresight of Leia’s father, who had somehow had the presence of mind not to keep it all on Alderaan, where it would have been lost forever. There were even some remnants of records that had been rescued from the destruction of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and there he began his search, having learned only the most basic information about its existence from his time spent with Yoda on Dagobah. Obi-Wan and Yoda had apparently entrusted some of the Jedi Temple holo files (that Obi-wan had time to copy during his brief return) and other records from the Clone Wars that they had kept in personal archives into the care of Leia’s father. Leia knew little about her father’s relationship with Obi-Wan, other than that they had served together during the Clone Wars. She was well-versed in political history of course, but did not know much more of the Jedi than Luke knew himself.  Luke had also found in Artoo an unlikely source of information. He sometimes wondered where the little droid had been before his chance meeting with Luke on Tatooine; Artoo seemed to have an uncanny way of providing help and information when it was most needed, yet he was somewhat reticent about certain topics including his past masters.

Luke needed to be armed with whatever he could find about not only his father’s past, but the ways of the Jedi that he had not learned in his painfully short apprenticeships in order to even have a fighting chance to survive against Vader in future. He could not rely on the strange hesitance to destroy him he had felt on Vader’s part which he now understood. There must be some reason Vader had not killed him as he so easily could have, and Luke felt if he could find out who his father once was, he might gain some understanding as to why he himself was still alive.

His first shock had been seeing old holos of his former mentor, Obi-Wan, as a young Jedi, and the wide variety and sheer numbers of Jedi that had once been the guardians of the galaxy. The grandeur of the long destroyed Jedi Temple filled him with awe, and realizing how young Jedi padawans usually were gave him new insights as to why Yoda had been hesitant to start his training. Of course, now knowing his heritage, he also realized there was a much more important reason.

His second shock was seeing a much younger Yoda, and learning he was a Master of some importance on the Jedi Council. Yoda had shown him the error of underestimating and judging him by his size when they had first met; apparently he had much still to learn about the wizened Jedi.

When he finally stumbled upon old fragments of footage showing Obi-Wan, still a padawan himself, with a tall, long-haired Master and a young boy by his side, his shock was complete when he realized the child must be Anakin Skywalker. More footage showed Obi-Wan and the boy, now dressed as a padawan himself, at the side of a very beautiful dignitary at some sort of celebration event on the planet Naboo. The same Anakin Skywalker who would grow up to become one of the greatest pilots and Jedi Knights the galaxy had ever seen. _His father._ Before he was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force and responsible for the death of millions and the destruction of the Jedi.

Ever since Old Ben had told him the truth about Anakin’s death, he had built up a hatred of the mysterious fallen Jedi who had committed the crime. To be confronted by this same evil, to watch him strike down Ben, and then to learn to his increasing horror what Leia had gone through on the Death Star had only strengthened his anger. Vader’s claim shattered every illusion he had. There was a flesh and blood man inside that suit; a face inside that helmet that once might have looked very like his own, judging by the resemblance he saw in the child he once was. That monster behind the mask had once been that small child, full of promise, growing up watching the same double sunsets that Luke himself had and longing for a different life. There must be something still of that person in Vader to explain why he had spared his son; he must have recognized himself in Luke when they finally met. Luke clung to that thought as some of his hatred gave way to understanding: something must have gone _very_ wrong for that little boy- _his father_ \- to turn to the Dark Side. He spared Luke when he so easily could have destroyed him.  Luke realized now after fighting him how much he had to learn about the power of The Force and the skills of the Jedi. He knew now that he must return to Yoda as soon as possible after they had rescued Han-he would need all the training, knowledge and answers the old Jedi could give him if he were to confront his father again. He knew now that he couldn’t kill his own father, but confrontation was inevitable-he could feel it. Vader knew he survived and he would actively seek him out-of that Luke was sure.

 


End file.
